National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration September 20, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area is closed to Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2021 fishing year. Regulations require this action once it is projected that 100 percent of trips allocated to the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area will be taken. This action is intended to prevent the number of trips in the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area from exceeding what is allowed under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) applicable to all harvest of species in the mid-water snapper stock complex, consisting of silk snapper, queen snapper, blackfin snapper, and wenchman in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). NMFS determined that combined commercial and recreational landings of the species in the mid-water snapper complex in the 2021 fishing year have exceeded the annual catch limit (ACL). Therefore, NMFS closes the Gulf EEZ to all harvest of species in the mid-water snapper complex on September 18, 2021, for the remainder of the 2021 fishing year. This closure is necessary to protect the species in the mid-water snapper complex.